TORONTO & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Real Brokerage Inc. (NASDAQ: REAX), a technology platform reshaping real estate for agents, home buyers, and sellers, announced today financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.
“Real delivered exceptional results in what is traditionally the lowest revenue quarter of the year, while setting a new quarterly record for net agent additions, which surpassed 3,000. This performance clearly demonstrates the strong appeal of our agent value proposition in the marketplace,” said Tamir Poleg, Real’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Despite higher interest rates and tight inventory impacting overall housing market activity, our strong start to 2024 and our robust transaction pipeline — currently at an all-time high — position Real well for continued significant revenue growth and improved profitability, irrespective of how the end market recovers.”
“Our ProTeams and Private Label initiatives, which formally launched in January, have received an enthusiastic response. Over 200 agents joined Real this quarter through the Private Label program, and we expect this number to more than double in the second quarter,” said Sharran Srivatsaa, President of Real. “As the industry prepares for forthcoming practice changes, we expect the trend of agents migrating from traditional, high-cost brokerages to more efficient, high-value models like ours to continue.”
“Real generated $21.5 million in cash from operating activities this quarter, enabling $4.6 million in share repurchases,” said Michelle Ressler, Real’s Chief Financial Officer. “We continue to invest strategically in our technology and infrastructure in order to support our rapid growth, while maintaining disciplined capital allocation with a focus on generating long-term shareholder value.”
Q1 2024 Operational Highlights
- The total value of completed real estate transactions reached $7.5 billion in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 88% from $4.0 billion in the first quarter of 2023.
- The total number of transactions closed was 19,032 in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 74% from 10,963 in the first quarter of 2023.
- The total number of agents on the platform increased to 16,680 at the end of the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 67% from the first quarter of 2023. As of May 7, 2024, over 18,000 agents are now on the Real platform.
Q1 2024 Financial Highlights
- Revenue rose to $200.7 million in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 86% from $107.8 million in the first quarter of 2023.
- Gross profit reached $20.8 million in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 92% from $10.8 million in the first quarter of 2023.
- Net loss attributable to owners of the Company was $16.1 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to $7.4 million in the first quarter of 2023. Net loss attributable to owners of the Company in the first quarter of 2024 includes $9.9 million of litigation expenses incurred during the quarter, primarily related to the settlement of antitrust litigation.
- Adjusted EBITDA1 was $3.6 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to negative ($0.8) million in the first quarter of 2023. Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2024 excludes $9.9 million of litigation expenses incurred during the quarter, primarily related to the settlement of antitrust litigation.
- Operating expenses, which include General & Administrative, Marketing, Research and Development, and expenses related to the settlement of antitrust litigation, increased to $36.5 million in the first quarter of 2024, a 104% increase from $17.8 million in the first quarter of 2023. Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2024 include $9.9 million of litigation expenses incurred during the quarter, primarily related to the settlement of antitrust litigation.
- Revenue share expense, which is included in Marketing expenses, was $9.1 million in the first quarter of 2024, a 67% increase compared to $5.4 million in the first quarter of 2023.
- Adjusted operating expenses, which reflect operating expenses less revenue share expense, stock-based compensation, depreciation, expenses related to the settlement of antitrust litigation, and other unique or non-cash expenses, were $13.6 million in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 43% from $9.5 million in the first quarter of 2023. Adjusted operating expense per transaction was $715 in the first quarter of 2023, a decline of 18% from $870 in the first quarter of 2023.
- Loss per share was $0.09 in the first quarter of 2024, compared to a loss per share of $0.04 in the first quarter of 2023.
- The Company repurchased 1.7 million common shares for $4.6 million in the first quarter of 2024, pursuant to its normal course issuer bid.
1There are references to “Adjusted EBITDA” and “Adjusted Operating Expense” in this press release, which are non-IFRS measures. See accompanying note under the heading “Non-IFRS Measures” for an explanation of the composition of these non-IFRS measures.
About Real
Real (NASDAQ: REAX) is a real estate experience company working to make life’s most complex transaction simple. The fast-growing company combines essential real estate, mortgage and closing services with powerful technology to deliver a single seamless end-to-end consumer experience, guided by trusted agents. With a presence in all 50 states throughout the U.S. and Canada, Real supports over 18,000 agents who use its digital brokerage platform and tight-knit professional community to power their own forward-thinking businesses. Additional information can be found on its website at www.onereal.com.
